With the deaths of three top Syrian officials , questions arose Wednesday as to whether the Damascus attack marks a turning point in the presidency of Bashar al-Assad .

As the crisis unfolded , experts looked beyond the day 's events to the roots of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 's power for insights into the 16-month rebellion that grips the Middle Eastern nation .

Al-Assad grew up in the shadow of his father , President Hafez al-Assad , a Soviet ally who ruled Syria for three decades and helped propel a minority Alawite population to key political , social and military posts .

By most accounts , the elder al-Assad governed with an iron fist , forging a police state that quashed opposition by jailing dissidents and marginalizing other political groups .

Hafez al-Assad was born into a poor family and graduated from Ḥomṣ Military Academy as an air force pilot , before rising in Baath Party leadership and gaining power in the `` Corrective Revolution '' of 1970 .

His son , Bashar , enjoyed rare privileges and education as he studied abroad , while his older son , Bassel , was the man groomed to succeed him and assume power .

Showdown or stalemate in Syria ?

But when Bassel died in a car crash in 1994 , Bashar was thrust into the national spotlight and switched his university focus from medicine to military science .

`` Dr. Bashar , '' who had headed the Syrian Computer Society , earned a degree in ophthalmology and enjoyed windsurfing , may have appeared an unlikely choice .

But many observers in Europe and the United States seemed heartened by the incoming president , who presented himself as a fresh , youthful leader who might usher in a more progressive , moderate regime .

Asma Akhras al-Assad , whom he married in 2000 , is a former investment banker of Syrian descent who grew up in London .

Get to know Syria 's first family

When al-Assad 's father died in June of that year , it took just hours for the Syrian parliament to amend the constitution and lower the presidential age of eligibility from 40 to 34 , a move that allowed Bashar to succeed his father .

Within weeks , he was also made a member of the regional command for the ruling Baath Party , a requirement of succession .

`` I shall try my very best to lead our country towards a future that fulfills the hopes and legitimate ambitions of our people , '' al-Assad said during his inauguration speech .

But Western hopes for a more moderate Syria sank when the new leader promptly maintained his country 's traditional ties with militant groups , such as Hamas and Hezbollah .

Attack threatens al-Assad 's grip on power

Suspicions later surfaced among the country 's regional neighbors over whether Syria was developing a covert nuclear program .

Meanwhile , al-Assad repeatedly vowed to stamp out corruption while strengthening his own grasp on power .

But in recent months -- and after more than a decade in power -- the Syrian leader has drawn criticism from around the globe as he 's met popular protests and unrest with force .

Damascus Spring came early in presidency

Thousands have been killed and many more displaced as the conflict has unfolded , with state security forces firing on demonstrators , many of whom have joined opposition groups , including armed rebel brigades .

As pressure has mounted , the inner circle of the Syrian leader has became more of a family affair , said David Lesch , a professor of Middle East history and author of `` The New Lion of Damascus : Bashar al-Assad and Modern Syria . ''

`` That 's part of what Bashar has been doing ever since he came to power , '' Lesch said . `` He has put members of his extended family ... in various parts of government and military security apparatus . If the day came -- and it did come -- where there was a threat to the regime , he could count on the loyalty of those closest to him . ''

The president 's family belongs to the country 's minority Alawite sect , who are largely driven by fears that they could be overwhelmed should al-Assad lose power , according to the president 's uncle Rifaat . Recent reports , however , suggest discontent even within the minority community over his handling of the crisis .

Jordan 's king calls attack ` tremendous blow ' to regime

Al-Assad 's youngest brother , Maher , is thought to be Syria 's second-most powerful man , overseeing two of the army 's strongest units : the Republican Guard , which protects the regime in Damascus , and the elite Fourth Armored Division , which suppressed the early uprisings in southern Syria .

But on Wednesday , a rebel attack killed Defense Minister Dawood Rajiha ; Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat -- al-Assad 's brother-in-law ; and Hasan Turkmani , al-Assad 's security adviser and assistant vice president , according to state television .

Shawkat was once in charge of the army 's intelligence services and was said to be one of the president 's closest allies .

Interior Minister Ibrahim al-Shaar was among those injured in the blast , state TV said , adding that he `` is in good health and that his condition is stable . ''

Wednesday 's attack occurred during a meeting of ministers and security officials and was coordinated by rebel brigades in Damascus , opposition groups say .

Al-Assad quickly named Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij as defense minister , according to the state-run news agency SANA .

State media also reported that authorities have killed or captured a `` large number '' of terrorist infiltrators in Damascus and inflicted `` heavy losses '' on terrorists in Homs and Idlib .

But video from a Damascus suburb showed Syrians rejoicing after news spread of the bombing .

Meanwhile , reports of deaths across the country occur almost every day , with a London-based opposition group reporting last week that government forces carried out a massacre in Hama province , killing 220 people there .

Horrific images out of Douma

Al-Assad 's administration has consistently said that its forces are targeting armed terrorists funded by outside agitators .

In early July , al-Assad told a German television station that a months-old peace plan aimed at ending the violence has n't failed , but rather has yet to be implemented because foreign countries are supporting `` terrorists . ''

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan , named as a special envoy to the region , has spearheaded the peace effort .

The president 's remarks came on the same day that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held that the days for the Syrian regime are numbered .

Noting recent defections , Clinton said , `` The sand is running out of the hourglass . ''

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Al-Assad grew up in the shadow of his father , the late president Hafez al-Assad

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His father ruled with iron fist , jailing some dissidents and marginalizing others

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His son , Bashar , enjoyed rare privileges and education as he studied abroad

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But those in Europe and the U.S. initially seemed heartened by the incoming president